The story is told of Blessed Basil that, making a visitation of his monasteries, he said to one of the hegemons, “Have you got any saints here?” The Abba said, “Through your prayers, my lord, we all desire to be saints.” And again, Blessed Basil said to him, “No, I mean have you GOT any saints here?” And the Abba tumbled to it (for he, too had spiritual insight). “Yes,” he says, and he sent for a certain brother. When he arrived, the Saint said to him, “Wash my feet,” and he went and fetched what was necessary. And after his feet were washed, Basil said to the brother, “Wait till I wash your feet.” And without a murmur he allowed himself to be washed by the holy man. After testing the brother in this way, he said, “When I enter the sanctuary, you come too! And remind me to ordain you.” Again without a murmur, the brother obeyed, and when he saw the holy Basil in the inner sanctuary, he went up and reminded him, and Basil ordained him and took him with him, for who else but this blessed brother was suitable to be with the holy god-bearing father? You do not have experience of this unmurmuring obedience; neither do you know what real internal peace is.
Dorotheos of Gaza
On Renunciation
